The present invention relates to thermal imaging systems of the type applied for use in firefighting and search and surveillance operations, and more particularly to an improved helmet-mounted camera system that may be readily deployed and used to display a high resolution thermal image of an incident site directed to either eye of the user while maintaining direct visual contact of the user with the site to provide better visibility of the surrounding areas.
In the conduct of firefighting and certain search and surveillance operations, it is critical to the success and safety of the operations that operating personnel be able to see as much of the incident site as possible and observe as much evidence of site conditions as one can gather aided and assisted by specially designed and adapted sensor devices. Such sensor devices have included thermal or infrared imaging cameras adapted to be worn in connection with a protective helmet for providing the wearer with a visual display of the incident site and particularly, those objects that are otherwise obscured from the wearer's view due to dense smoke, darkness and other adverse conditions encountered at the scene. These thermal imaging devices, for further example, can allow the user-wearer to see a fire or other hot spot radiating infrared energy in proximity to the viewing site but obscured by a wall or roof.
Existing combinations of a head-protective helmet and a thermal imaging camera have proven useful to emergency operating personnel as a means for conducting immediate incident site surveillance and investigations about the site while having the hands of the personnel free to carry out particular tasks. Examples of such hands-free combinations of head-protective helmets and thermal imaging cameras are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,914 issued to James A. Prescott and U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,016,160 and 6,023,288, both issued to Christopher E. Coombs et al. Another type of infrared system adapted for hands-free use in connection with a fire fighter's helmet is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,650 issued to Charles C. Warner et al. Although existing helmet-mounted thermal imaging systems have been generally successful in providing a hands-free visual display of the obscured site conditions, the mounted arrangement and positioning of their cameras and associated displays have not been completely satisfactory in preserving a clear and natural field of view for the user-wearer while wearing the helmet-mounted system and in maintaining effective visual contact and the spatial orientation of the user-wearer while navigating the site.